Gen Z: Confessions in the Cloud

From deccanchronicle.com

By Rochelle Crasto

Many youngsters take to digital journaling, but few have the energy and drive to consistently translate their thoughts and emotions into words and write

Earlier, pouring your thoughts and feelings onto paper meant owning a diary — a tangible little book that held your secrets under lock, key, or more realistically, under the bed. But those pages were never truly private. Anyone could stumble upon them. Enter Gen Z, who’s found a sleeker, safer alternative: the Notes app. Password-protected, always within reach, and discreetly tucked behind a screen — it’s the modern diary you don’t have to hide. Your secrets are now just as digital as they are secure.

Earlier, pouring your thoughts and feelings onto paper meant owning a diary — a tangible little book that held your secrets under lock, key, or more realistically, under the bed. (DC)

The After Hours 

This generation has been called many things — anxious, self-aware, over-sharing — but perhaps the most accurate is emotionally literate. They’ve grown up in an age that values mental health conversations, therapy memes, and vulnerability. Digital journaling fits right into that framework. But here’s the thing — after a long day of work, few people have the energy to unpack their emotions, let alone articulate them. Journaling, whether on paper or screen, demands not just honesty but also emotional bandwidth. To write means to process, and processing requires energy that most people don’t have after hours. “I find writing to be quite therapeutic,” says Ayesha Sharma, a senior UI/UX designer. “It’s a form of art, just like design,” she adds.

Maintaining a journal is equally tough. It’s not something our parents teach us to do diligently since birth. Instead, it’s one of those rituals that surfaces during emotionally charged seasons of life. In those moments, writing becomes less about discipline and more about release — a quiet form of distraction, reflection, and de-stressing. “You need to be in the right state of mind if you want to keep your journal alive. It has to be the dedication and the drive to work on yourself and improve for the betterment of your health,” says Dr Shreya Srinivastav, a psychologist.

The Fine Tuning 

There is also the question about effective writing and how much time you should spend at the desk. Platforms like Stoic or Journey are quietly replacing traditional diaries. Why? Because they fit right into the pocket-sized rhythm of our lives. A thought strikes mid-commute? Type it out. A wave of sadness at midnight? Add it to your Notes folder titled “Maybe feelings.” No pens, no pages, no risk of someone finding it under your mattress.

For a generation that broadcasts everything — playlists, selfies, step counts, even Spotify moods — digital journaling offers something radical: privacy. The Notes app is the anti-Instagram. It’s where you say what you really mean, without filters or captions. “There is a sort of peace that you find within words. It’s something that can’t be compared too even if you speak them out loud,” adds Shreya. 

Think of it as the digital equivalent of a whisper — soft, honest, and safe. These digital diaries capture what never makes it online: the ugly crying, the confusion, the little self pep-talks. It's a vulnerability without validation. 

Feelings, But Bite-Sized 

Journaling could be a single line, a short list, or even a fleeting thought typed before bed. There is no need for long paragraphs, no point to be made on purpose and of course, no pressure. 

The beauty of digital journaling lies in its security. Passwords, biometric locks, and Face ID make these private entries feel safer than any paper diary ever could. “Unlike my old journals that my cousin once found,” says Riya Mathew (23), “my Notes app is my fortress. It’s my most honest space.” 

There’s irony, of course. These deeply personal thoughts live on the cloud — vulnerable to data breaches and software updates — yet feel safer than ever before. Maybe safety today isn’t about secrecy; it’s about control. 

The Notes app isn’t just a tool — it’s a mirror. It reflects what’s often left unsaid in group chats and social media posts. And in that reflection, many find clarity. Gen Z may joke about “Notes app apologies” and “Notes app breakdowns,” but underneath the humour lies a profound truth — this is a generation learning to cope through documentation. To write is to release. 

Future Of Feelings 

As journaling apps evolve, AI is slowly stepping in. Platforms now analyse tone, detect emotional patterns, and even suggest prompts like “What are you grateful for today?” or “How did you show resilience this week?” The digital diary is becoming part therapist, part data analyst. 

But while algorithms can detect sadness, they can’t feel it. The essence of journaling — whether in ink or pixels — still lies in the human need to be seen, even if only by ourselves. In a world where everything is shared, digital journaling is the last unshared space. It’s our reminder that some emotions don’t need an audience — just an outlet. 

The Write Approach 

• 8% of people currently keep a journal or diary regularly 

• 22% have kept one in the past (HabitBetter survey) 

• Studies suggest consistent journaling significantly improves mental well-being 

• In a study of online positive-affect journaling, an adherence rate (completing at least one session • per week) was 66.4%. 

• Reports citing up to 25% boost in mood and emotional clarity (Gitnux, 2024) ( Source : Deccan Chronicle )

https://www.deccanchronicle.com/tabloid/hyderabad-chronicle/confessions-in-the-cloud-1922132

Diary of a Gen Z Student: How a young person curates their Instagram profile in 2025

From irishexaminer.com 

By Jane Cowan

"You might think this is ridiculous, just another thing that the youth of today are overthinking. But your Instagram profile is the first thing people will look at if they want to find out about you."

My favourite technological invention is the WhatsApp story. Maybe it’s because I always have a vague inkling that any story on WhatsApp was posted accidentally. 

The people who post on WhatsApp are generally not avid social media users. I make that assumption because I’ve never seen someone my age engage in such social media posting. 

In truth, the chief offenders for posting stories on WhatsApp that I know of, are my parents.

The photo is usually out of focus or backlit so you can’t really tell what it is. But I respect it.

There’s a level of nonchalance about it that someone my age could only feign. It’s almost audacious.

                         Instagram, for gen Z, is a very specific art form. We have many unwritten guidelines. It must appear effortless

The social media platform you’ll tend to find me posting on is Instagram. 

And there is nothing laid back about what makes it to my Instagram profile.

Instagram, for gen Z, is a very specific art form. We have many unwritten guidelines. It must appear effortless.

You’ve just rolled out of bed, dragged a brush through your hair, and happened upon the most aesthetically stunning, golden lighting, which you document with a quick selfie; you didn’t even have to try.

Well, that’s how it’s supposed to look. The fact that you waited three hours for the sun to shine at just the right angle is no one else’s business.

If the picture is for your main Instagram grid — an old school Instagram post, as I like to think of it — then you can’t post just the one picture.

You’ve got to turn it into a carousel. That means you must take numerous effortless photos and post them all at once.

You want it to be a bit like a scrapbook. A highly curated and beautiful scrapbook. The collection of photos you land on must also be varied.

You could decide to post 15 selfies in one go, but you don’t want people to think you’re narcissistic.

Even if the only reason you’re posting is because you feel you look especially stunning in a particular photo, you must disguise it.

Dilute the self-love by including a landscape or two, maybe a coffee, a picture with your friends. This is the highlight reel for your life, so you should present it as such.

The Instagram story is a little less pressure. You only need the one flawlessly executed photo to warrant an Instagram story. But the details matter. 

If you’re adding a location to it, the cool kids know to only use the translucent location tag. The blue and white location tag? Even millennials should know better.

One thing’s for certain, though: whether it’s being posted to the grid or your story, you must find the perfect song to accompany any Instagram activity. 

That impromptu photograph can’t be posted in silence. Its essence, your mood, the vibes, however you want to think of it, must be captured in music.

This is the ultimate insight into someone’s personality, so that song is being painstakingly selected.

You might think this is ridiculous, just another thing that the youth of today are overthinking. But your Instagram profile is the first thing people will look at if they want to find out about you.

So, you want to be cautious about what makes the cut. That guy you met on a night out and have been on three dates with? 

If you wouldn’t introduce him to your parents, he shouldn’t be on your Instagram. You have to earn that kind of real estate.

There’s some fun in it, too. The best part about posting is checking your phone every seven minutes to bask in the likes and comments. 

Anyone who says they’re not doing that, is lying. With every like, you get to swipe through your photos and admire your creativity from the perspective of the person who just liked it.

Lap up the adoration. The worst part about posting an Instagram story is only having 24 hours to do that good work. People may say that this kind of behaviour makes my generation self-obsessed.

Maybe that’s true. God knows there’s a serious amount of validation to be gotten from people liking your post, even if you couldn’t pick those people out of a lineup. It still counts. 

Kind of like those random people sliding into your Instagram DMs looking for a sugar baby and offering to pay your college fees. I have no desire to respond, but it’s not bad for my ego.

When I grow up, I might achieve the social media presence of my parents on WhatsApp. No curation, song choice, or scrapbooking.

Just vibes.

But I’ll have to get back to you on that. It feels too reckless for now.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/people/arid-41702453.html

Diary of a Gen Z Student: Leaving Cert results aren’t the be-all and end-all

From irishexaminer.com

By Jane Cowan

It’s normal for results day not to pan out the way you might have envisioned it 

The day before my Leaving Cert results were due to come out, I chopped about 8in off my hair. A bob seemed like a suitable distraction. Because I needed to feel something other than the total nausea that I had thinking about those Leaving Cert results.

It worked for a good hour, while I freaked out about making such a drastic, life-altering decision. Then I quickly returned to my previous state of panic at the thought of receiving grades that I thought would determine the rest of my life.

I had always been a diligent student. I worked hard, never missed a homework assignment, and studied for every class test. In sixth year, I would watch the news in German, just to keep on top of my vocab.

As someone who had always performed well in school, it was expected that I would also achieve highly in the Leaving Cert. It was a pressure I felt from my peers, my teachers, my family, and myself.

Throughout most of my schooling, academic achievement never felt like I had achieved anything. It felt like some sort of minimum requirement. Being able to get good grades had become inextricably wound up in my identity.

Other things that made up my identity seemed less important: being one of four children, having a love for books and films, playing the piano, swimming, having great friends, and cooking for my family. None of those things were as crucial to how I viewed myself as the ability to achieve academically. So it felt like a lot more was riding on my results than getting into college.

That pressure was something I couldn’t really admit to, because admitting to it seemed like saying that I had never been that clever to begin with. For most of sixth year, I didn’t sleep more than five or so hours on any given night. My skin broke out with the stress. I sacrificed my hobbies, in favour of academics. I found it really difficult.

But I was convinced that getting the grades I needed to get into my college course would be this moment of total elation. I thought it would somehow prove that I could live up to the expectations that people had of me. I hoped academic achievement from the Leaving Cert would really count for something.

Still, on the morning I opened my results and realised I would get into the university course I wanted, I couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t happy about it. I had checked all the boxes that I was supposed to. I was looking forward to going to college but I didn’t feel like I had accomplished anything. I was just vaguely relieved that it was all over — but not proud of myself.

Jane Cowan: 'Throughout most of my schooling, academic achievement never felt like I had achieved anything.' Picture: Moya Nolan

Fast-forward to today, and I’m about to enter my final year of college. I’ve reflected a lot on Leaving Cert results day over the years. I’ve learnt a lot about academic validation since then. It’s probably something that happens when you leave school, that you can see life as a lot bigger than academics or any one exam result.

My priorities have shifted. Of course, I still want to do well in college. You’ll often find me spending late nights and early mornings in the library. But I also want to enjoy my life around college as well. I’m no longer waiting for an exam result to tell me how I should feel about myself, something I couldn’t conceptualise for myself on the day of the Leaving Cert results. I didn’t realise that academics being just one area of my life was an option.

I know that today there are students probably feeling how I felt on Leaving Cert results day. Like the achievement you worked towards was underwhelming more than anything. Or maybe you didn’t achieve what you were hoping you would; that can feel like a rupture in your identity. I’ve been there. But over the years, I’ve learned to hold those things with a little more levity. I’ve been rejected for a scholarship in college. I’ve gotten disappointing grades in exams. But once you start to see things that don’t work out as being part of the process, and an inevitable part of everyone’s life, you can gain some perspective. It’s normal for results day not to pan out the way you might have envisioned it.

And despite how it can feel on results day, your whole life hasn’t just been decided. Points aren’t supposed to tell you how you should feel about yourself. In a few years, those grades probably won’t seem all that important.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/people/arid-41690790.html